Richard Doell (1923 – March 6, 2008) was an American geophysicist, known for developing the time scale for geomagnetic reversals with Allan V. Cox and Brent Dalrymple.
[1] The timed sequence of reversals, with subsequent refinements by this USGS team and others, proved to be a major component of the plate tectonics revolution in the mid-to late 1960s.
It not only provided the basis for confirming the hypothesis of sea floor spreading, but it also was a technique for quantifying rates and amounts of crustal plate movements on a global scale.
[2] For his numerous unique pioneering scientific contributions and leadership, Richard Doell was elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1969 and he shared the prestigious Vetlesen Prize with Allan V. Cox and G. Brent Dalrymple of the USGS and S. Keith Runcorn in 1971.
Having built a 38-foot sailboat, Muav, he began a series of long sailing cruises to Alaska, French Polynesia, and northern Europe.